Content Marketing, Now for Brands and Publishers [Infographic]

You may have noticed a recent content marketing trend -- publishers are marketing more like brands and brands are taking a cue from publishers. Thanks to sponsored posts, native advertising and a digital landscape upon which these types of content marketing strategies can be planted and cultivated, the way brands and publishers market themselves online is changing.

Content Marketing for Brands and Publishers

It's been tough for publishers of all shapes and sizes. Getting their readers to pay attention to their content is hard, but slowly they've capitalized on social media and new digital advertising strategies to help them get their stories in front of new audiences across different platforms. Whether it's using Facebook's sponsored stories or Twitter's promoted tweets, publishers are acting more like advertisers. And it seems to be working. Shared content accounts for approximately twenty percent of all web traffic, so if you can get others to share your content on their own or by liking and retweeting content from within popular social networks, it can help boost your content.

As for brands, it's no secret that most consumers have taught themselves to tune out traditional advertising. Millennials won't even look at the side bar in Facebook. As a result, brands have started creating unique content in an effort to appeal to their consumers interests and behaviors to get noticed. This too seems to be working. Consumers says they trust brands who target them with unique content. Whether it's tips for cleaner teeth, or a checklist for better email security, getting to know you before you buy helps consumers to trust brands more, which can mean improved brand loyalty in the long run.

Content Marketing Rules

Regardless of how you're using content marketing to attract new readers and appeal to consumers, there are still ways to ensure that your content works for you, and not against you. That means the content you're producing still has to be good. Quality content speaks volumes. And if you're paying for it to be noticed, it should be something you want people to read. Furthermore, content marketing is still marketing so you should give users a call to action so they know what to do once they've consumed your content. Additionally, you can't improve if you don't know how your content is performing. Track, measure and tweak your content appropriately. Target different audiences, use different keywords, post across different platforms to learn more about the behaviors of your audience.

As publishers and brands explore new ways to leverage content marketing it only means that as consumers, we'll have access to more and more content and information than before. We need to help them understand what works and what doesn't. Never before has our influence been greater. Now that our behaviors are being tracked and measured, it's essential that we demand the best customer experience content marketing can deliver.

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